i6 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



AMERICAN FOREST TREES. 



Chinquapin Oak. 



Qucicus uciimiiKila — Sai-g. 

 This tree has a range of growth from north- 

 ern New York, along Lake Champlai° =>"'^ 

 the Hudson river westward through southern 

 Ontario, and southward into parts of Ne- 

 braska and Kansas; on its eastern boundary 

 it extends as far south as the JJistriot of Co- 

 hnnbia and along the upper Potomac; the 

 growth west of the Allegheny moun- 

 tains reaches into central Alabama 

 and Mississippi, through Arkansas 

 and the northern portion of Louisi- 

 ana to the eastern part of Indian 

 Territory and parts of Texas even 

 to the canyons of the Guadaloupe 

 mountains, in the extreme western 

 part of that state. 



It is known as the chinquapin oiik 

 in Massachusetts, Ehode Islaml. 

 Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Caro- 

 lina, South Carolina, Alabama, Ar- 

 kansas, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri. 

 Indiana, Nebraska and Kansas; it 

 is called chestnut oak in Connecticut. 

 Delaware, Alabama, North Carolina, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Ohio, 

 Illinois, Michigan, Kansas and Ne- 

 braska; pin oak in Kansas and Ar- 

 kansas; yellow oak in Illinois, Kan- 

 sas, Nebraska and Michigan; scrub 

 jak in New York; dwarf chestnut 

 aak in Massachusetts, North Cani- 

 Jina and Tenessee; shrub oak in Ne- 

 braska; white oak in Tennessee; 

 rock oak in Arkansas; and yellow 

 chestnut oak in several of tliese lo- 

 calities. 



This variety should not be con- 

 fused with Qiwrcus primis, or the 

 true chestnut oak, although it is 

 commonly known in so many sections 

 of the country by the latter name; 

 the names yellow oak, pin oak and 

 scrub oak are likewise applied to 

 many varieties, so that the only way 

 to accurately designate members of 

 this great family is to employ their 

 botanical name. However, this spe 

 cies should always be known as tlie 

 chinquapin oak, which is a distinct- 

 ive term, and not applied to any 

 other variety; it is so designated m 

 Indiana, where the tree reaches its 

 maximum development. 



The bark of this tree is light gray 

 and is broken into thin flakes, sil- 

 very-white, sometimes slightly tinted 

 with brown; rarely becomes half an incli 

 thick. The branclilets are marked with pale 

 lentieels. 



The leaves of the chinquapin oak are from 

 five to seven inches long, simple and alter- 

 nate; they have a taper-pointed apex and 

 blunt, wedge-shaped or pointed base; are 

 sharply serrate. When unfolding they show 

 a bright bronze-green above, tinged with pur- 



FIFTT-TUIKD PAPER. 



pie and are covered underneath with light 

 silvery ilow n ; at maturity they become thick 

 and firm, showing greenish-yellow on the 

 upper surface and silvery-white below, the 

 pubescence remaining. The midrib is conspic- 

 uous and the veins extending outward to the 

 ]ioints of the teeth are well-defined. In 

 autumn the leaves turn orange and scarlet 

 and are very sluiwy. The leaves are narrow. 



TYI'ICAL KOUKST GltdWTlI ClIINQUAl'IX n.\K. INIlIAXA 



liarilly two inches wide, and more nesirly re- 

 semble those of the chestnut than do any 

 other oak leaves. In their broadest forms 

 they are also similar to those of the true 

 chestnut oak, although the difference in the 

 quality and color of the bark, and of the 

 leaves en masse, would prevent either tree 

 from being mistaken for the other. They are 

 crowded at the ends of the branches and hang 



in such a manner as to show their under sur- 

 faces with every touch of breeze. This char- 

 acteristic gives the chinquapin oak a peculiar 

 effect of constantly shifting color whicli is 

 one of its most attractive features and which 

 puts the observer in mind of the trembling 

 aspen, although the shading and coloring of 

 the oak is nuich more striking. 

 The staminate-flowers grow in catkins from 

 three to four inches long, having a 

 light yellow calyx; the pistillate are 

 sessile, or grow in short spikes, cov- 

 ered with thick white tomentum, and 

 have bright red stigmas. In speak- 

 ing of these flowers, Lounsljerry 

 says: "Those that have paid little 

 or no attention to the trees, except- 

 ing perhaps to regard them as af- 

 fording a gracious and wholesome 

 shade, are invariably surprised when 

 tlieir interest in them is quickened, 

 to see how exquisite are many of 

 tlie blossoms with which they are 

 hung in the spring. Then it is a 

 revelation that the long yellow clus- 

 ters, looking like bits of string, 

 wliich dangle from this great oak 

 are in reality its staminate flowers. 

 In this way many of them grow 

 .snugly together. The pistillate blos- 

 soms are congregated in more com- 

 pact clusters and, as in many mo- 

 noecious trees, they are located near 

 the tips of the lower boughs. From 

 the topmost branches the staminate 

 ones sway. That their respective po- 

 sitions are such is another illustra- 

 tion of Nature's theory that noth- 

 ing is insignificant. When the 

 lu-eezes bend the tree-tops the pollen 

 is shaken out, and its natural fall is 

 then downward upon the pistillate 

 ones wdiich eagerly arrest its flight. " 

 The fruit of this tree is a small, 

 sessile acorn ; its cup is broad, 

 round and thin, with close scales; 

 the nut is light brown, and is alxmt 

 one-third hidden bj^ the cup ; it is 

 sweet and sometimes edible. 



The wood of chinquapin oak is 

 lieavy, exceedingly hard, strong and 

 close-grained; it is very durable, and 

 is largely used in cooperage, for 

 wheels, railway ties, fencing, etc. 

 The sapwood is thin and light-col- 

 ored ; the heartwood much darker. 



In general appearance this tree is 

 tall and straight, with narrow head, 

 reaching a height of from forty to 160 

 feet. It is rare and comparatively local 

 through the Atlantic states, being usually 

 found on limestone soil. In the Mississippi 

 basin, along stony ridges and dry hills, and 

 the rocky banks of rivers, it is very abundant, 

 as it is also in the rich bottom-lauds. It 

 reaches its finest development along the lower 

 Wabash river and its tributaries, in the south- 



